Chicago, while not dead, is a fraction of what it used to be. While it used to be at the vanguard of US cities, when is the last time you’ve heard it mentioned in national news in a good way?

Not all cities end up like Detroit. Some just fade into irrelevance.

That's not what the doomsayers were predicting. They were expecting a detroit-style implosion since the 1970s, suggesting such an event was just a year or two around the corner.... for the last 45 years. Much different than "This city's influence will wane as other metros rise and grow"

Incidentally, Zillow has Chicago and the surrounding metro area posting the highest growth in home value (source: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/residential-real-estate/chic...)

Yet for whatever reason, new expensive skyscrapers keep dotting the Chicago skyline. Some death-spiral.